Archive for the ‘Class of 1988’ tag

With the turning of the calendar every year comes a new crop of cars that Americans can import with much less hassle, thanks to the EPA’s rolling 25-year emissions exemption and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s rolling 20-year safety exemptions. David Traver Adolphus took a look at the once-forbidden fruit cars of 1988 that never made it to our shores when new and made his recommendations on which ones to track down and buy. Below are three of his picks; the rest of the list appears in the April issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car, on sale now.

Aston Martin Virage
Virage was the newest Aston Martin since the Sixties, although the 5.3-liter V-8 was an existing unit and the chassis evolved from the V8. The engine got new four-valve heads and 330hp, and a sculpted, imposing new body. The U.S. got a nearly identical car two years later, but only in tiny numbers, as in double digits annually. A factory 500hp, 6.3-liter package from 1992 ups the ante just a wee bit.

Fun Factor: Moderate. The U.S. version is nearly identical, but they’re so scarce you may have to get one from Europe.
Cost: $40,000

Alpina B10 3.5/B12 5.0
The B10 was the first Alpina car based on the new third-generation E34 5-series. Alpina heavily modified the M60 engine to make 254 bhp; uprated the brakes and suspension and included their own 17-inch wheels; and upholstered Recaro seats with their own leather. Externally the car is quiet, with only the badges, wheels, a spoiler and exhaust tips to give the game away. A 155 MPH tested top speed exceeded the factory claims. The Alpina B12 5.0 based on the E32 V-12 735 was rated at 350hp, looks better, but was about a half-second slower to 60. They shared the same speed-limited top speed.

Fun Factor: High. Any Eighties BMW fans will know what this car is; for anyone else, it’s a total Q-ship.
Cost: $15,000-$30,000

Rover 820 Fastback
Rover’s O-series two-liter M16 engine was aging and not soon to be replaced, so Austin Rover looked for ways to refresh the car. The Fastback was originally going to be a Rover 600, but marketing decided it needed to be more upscale, and the Rover 2000 was reborn. A Honda-derived 2.7-liter V-6 version appeared shortly thereafter and was a much-needed improvement. In 1987, the 2.7 came to America as the Sterling 827SLi, so the original 820 Fastback is for purists only.

Fun Factor: Low. Later Vitesses, either naturally aspirated 2.7s or Turbos, are more fun and got better looking with time.
Cost: $1,500

While we have the rolling 25-year cutoffs for most shows to give us some idea of what’s newly considered collectible, there are indeed other standards which we can use to determine when a car becomes collectible. For instance, when a car appears in the Hemmings classifieds, certainly somebody out there believes it to be collectible. Thus, let’s take a look at this clean 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller’s description:

1988 Volkswagen Scirocco 2-Door Hatch 16V Classic. Definitely one-of-a-kind car: Collectors and serious inquiries only! 2 owners, 29,000 original miles. This car was #2640 off the line out 3754 sold in America in 1988.

This car is primo and in perfect condition inside and out. It drives like a bat outa-you-know-where! Owner is in Washington State; car is currently stored in Michigan and is originally a California car. Always garaged and covered. This car has never been driven in snow!